Pak revives 8-country grouping to counter India in Afghanistan

[atleast_a_bronze]

Pak revives 8-country grouping to counter India in Afghanistan

Islamabad: Pakistan has revived an eight-country grouping to counter the US’ pressure for giving India a greater role in war-torn Afghanistan's reconstruction, according to a media report on Tuesday.

Following an initiative spearheaded by Islamabad, Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours - Pakistan, Iran, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - are participating along with the US and Britain in a meeting being held today in Turkey to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been lobbying for the renewal of talks among Afghanistan’s neighbours to "foil Indian designs of gaining a foothold on Afghan soil," diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by Daily Times newspaper.

Pakistan believes India is "not an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan and therefore should have a limited role" in that country, the sources said.

Turkey has been asked to convene the meeting as it enjoys the trust of Pakistan and is accepted as a neutral party for promoting a common approach to the conflict in Afghanistan.

The meeting will also take stock of measures to restore peace in the war-ravaged country. The original "six-plus-two" grouping also included Russia but that country has been replaced in the new set-up by Britain.

The Chinese Foreign Minister and senior officials from Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan will attend the meeting.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke’s deputy, Paul Jones, will also attend it. The meeting will urge regional players to work together to stabilise Afghanistan and the region.

The revival of the grouping comes ahead of a conference of around 50 countries in London on Thursday to discuss the Afghan issue and deliberate on measures to help the war-ravaged country.

The organisers of the London Conference, like the US, are trying to convince Pakistan to accept a greater Indian role in Afghanistan.

The Daily Times quoted its sources as saying that it was not possible for Pakistan to give India a role in Afghanistan "as it is using Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan”.

The sources also claimed India had traditionally "aligned with Russia and played a part in the destruction of Afghanistan”.

The sources said the last meeting of the "six-plus-two" grouping was held before the 9/11 terror attacks and the Taliban had agreed to give 80 percent representation in the Afghan government to the Northern Alliance.

"Since then, fortunes have reversed and the Taliban have lost the government. Now the six-plus-two group will try to pave the way for the participation of the Taliban in the new government," a source said.

The US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan need breathing space following a deadly year - the alliance lost 504 soldiers, including 305 US and 108 British troops, in 2009.

The sources claimed US-led forces were giving thought to Pakistan's viewpoint on the Afghan conflict, an idea substantiated by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates' statement during a recent visit to Islamabad.

Gates had said the US is with Pakistan and supported its efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

 

[prahladh]

Pakistan believes India is "not an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan and therefore should have a limited role" in that country, the sources said.
The organisers of the London Conference, like the US, are trying to convince Pakistan to accept a greater Indian role in Afghanistan.

What the phantom menace is their problem. what do they smoke.which flavor.P.S: Will the feature "comments" be part of this upgrade.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

seems like Pakistan is more worried about India in Afghanistan more than the war on terror or the Afghan people. Pakistan invited everyone except the Afghans so this metting won't amount to much especially when USA is less than satisfied with Pakistan's role in Afghanistan war upto now.

 

[sob]

After attempts by Pakistan to keep India out of the London conference failed, Pakistan had to to rely on old friend Turkey to keep India out. However this does not have much of an impact, the main conference is going to be in London where India needs to keep a low profile and let it's work do the talking.

As far as Turkey is concerned their President is arriving later naext month in India, it will be interesting to see how we take this issue up with him.

 

[tarunraju]

Pakistan believes India is "not an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan and therefore should have a limited role" in that country

Haha. What a retarded argument. Since when are China, Turkey, US, and Britain "immediate neighbours" of Afghanistan?

Seriously.

 

[Yusuf]

Desperate stuff from Pakistan this. The US and Britain are not going to buy any of this from Pakistan. The people who matter the most, the Afghanis dont buy it at all as a recent poll has shown. Pakistan wants to carve out Astan as its own and thats why it cannot see Indian development work there. It routinely comes up with lame excuses about why India should not be in Astan.

Also why would the neighbors be with Pakistan on this subject when they all know that Pakistan is a state sponsor or terror and a promoter of the Taliban. In fact all Uzbeks and Tajiks ethnics of Astan were part of the Norther Alliance that fought the Taliban. Why would those countries side with the Pakistan when they know that if the US were to withdraw, the Pakistanis will push the Taliban back in.

I dont see anything come out of this move by Pakistan.

 

[neo29]

i wonder what the greater role of india is. we already pumped so much money in their infrastructure and training their army. wont be surprised if they end up asking for some troops to so that US can send some of their soldiers home. they would have asked long time back, but feared pakistan backlash.

 

[Daredevil]

Haha. What a retarded argument. Since when are China, Turkey, US, and Britain "immediate neighbours" of Afghanistan?

Seriously.

Have you seen any rational argument coming from Pakistan recently??. For Pakistan, except India every other country is a neighbor of Afghanistan. Time for international community to call Pakistan bluff and stop AID at once.

 

[neo29]

US tired of fighting the taliban. the allies are tired with war on terror and want to leave the region. they want karzai government and taliban to sit together and talk. taliban and pakistan handlers are waiting when allies leave the region and they can start what they did best before the war.

with Allied forces leaving the region, the money india pumped into afghanistan and its assets are in grave danger to be overrun.

the meeting in london is a huge decision making scenario for india. karzai seems to play a clever game by asking for foreign troops to stay for 15 years more ahead of the meeting, at the same time he wants UN to allow some taliban officials into the government. seems he playing 2 sides.

greater role of india should be to allow its own troops to protect its assets there. depending on the outcome of the meetings, india should decide if to pump more money or pull out.

 

[Yusuf]

Pulling out from Astan is just not an option. india has to play the game well. Karzai is proving to be a baffoon. And the US is again on the path of short sighted policy by playing the good taliban theory. India has to protect its interests at all cost.

 

[anoop_mig25]

US tired of fighting the taliban. the allies are tired with war on terror and want to leave the region. they want karzai government and taliban to sit together and talk. taliban and pakistan handlers are waiting when allies leave the region and they can start what they did best before the war.

with Allied forces leaving the region, the money india pumped into afghanistan and its assets are in grave danger to be overrun.

the meeting in london is a huge decision making scenario for india. karzai seems to play a clever game by asking for foreign troops to stay for 15 years more ahead of the meeting, at the same time he wants UN to allow some taliban officials into the government. seems he playing 2 sides.

greater role of india should be to allow its own troops to protect its assets there. depending on the outcome of the meetings, india should decide if to pump more money or pull out.

agreed totally but once allied powers live india has to pull out as ISI+taliban wont live any stone turn to remove karzai government we shold wait and watch and should `t invest more there because USA+UK WOULD any how try to involve so called friendlier taliban and leave as soon as possible so as to sell that afgan war at their home which thet are basically loosing

 

[anoop_mig25]

Pak revives 8-country grouping to counter India in Afghanistan

Islamabad: Pakistan has revived an eight-country grouping to counter the US’ pressure for giving India a greater role in war-torn Afghanistan's reconstruction, according to a media report on Tuesday.

Following an initiative spearheaded by Islamabad, Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours - Pakistan, Iran, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - are participating along with the US and Britain in a meeting being held today in Turkey to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been lobbying for the renewal of talks among Afghanistan’s neighbours to "foil Indian designs of gaining a foothold on Afghan soil," diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by Daily Times newspaper.

Pakistan believes India is "not an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan and therefore should have a limited role" in that country, the sources said.

Turkey has been asked to convene the meeting as it enjoys the trust of Pakistan and is accepted as a neutral party for promoting a common approach to the conflict in Afghanistan.

The meeting will also take stock of measures to restore peace in the war-ravaged country. The original "six-plus-two" grouping also included Russia but that country has been replaced in the new set-up by Britain.

The Chinese Foreign Minister and senior officials from Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan will attend the meeting.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke’s deputy, Paul Jones, will also attend it. The meeting will urge regional players to work together to stabilise Afghanistan and the region.

The revival of the grouping comes ahead of a conference of around 50 countries in London on Thursday to discuss the Afghan issue and deliberate on measures to help the war-ravaged country.

The organisers of the London Conference, like the US, are trying to convince Pakistan to accept a greater Indian role in Afghanistan.

The Daily Times quoted its sources as saying that it was not possible for Pakistan to give India a role in Afghanistan "as it is using Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan”.

The sources also claimed India had traditionally "aligned with Russia and played a part in the destruction of Afghanistan”.

The sources said the last meeting of the "six-plus-two" grouping was held before the 9/11 terror attacks and the Taliban had agreed to give 80 percent representation in the Afghan government to the Northern Alliance.

"Since then, fortunes have reversed and the Taliban have lost the government. Now the six-plus-two group will try to pave the way for the participation of the Taliban in the new government," a source said.

The US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan need breathing space following a deadly year - the alliance lost 504 soldiers, including 305 US and 108 British troops, in 2009.

The sources claimed US-led forces were giving thought to Pakistan's viewpoint on the Afghan conflict, an idea substantiated by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates' statement during a recent visit to Islamabad.

Gates had said the US is with Pakistan and supported its efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

first from which angle china is neighbor to Afghanistan and secound how this central asian countries are going to help Afghanistan when they them-self aren`t in good shape

 

[F-14]

the last time i Looked India has more cultural links and Historic links with Afghanistan then what the Pakistanis think they conveniently forgot the fact that Afghanistan was the only country to vote no for the Inclusion of Pakistan in the UN and also they ( the Afghans )
also do not recognize the Durand Line and besides this conference is a total sham why dint they call Afghanistan for a supposed "meeting" on Afghanistan's Future

 

[kuku]

Its so pathetic that Pakistan is treating Afghanistan as if it was a district in Pakistan, i hope they start paying some respect to Afghanistan.

 

[F-14]

India had traditionally "aligned with Russia and played a part in the destruction of Afghanistan”.

what a crule joke so through the taliban the pakistanis were helping afghanistan ia it juat me or is pakistan half mad

 

[LETHALFORCE]

USA may still be in Afghanistan for this reason, they know once they pull out, Pakistan will try to take over; and their whole war effort and 500 BILLION DOLLARS spent will go to waste.USA has to figure out a way of possibly ending the war in Afghanistan and keeping Pakistan out, once the answer to this dilemma is found then the Afghan war will come to an end ,unless Obama is as big a bufoon as everyone claims he is.

 

[neo29]

US has no other way to control the taliban, hence trying to split taliban by including some "friendlier taliban" in the government. karzai fears that he will be targetted once allies leave the region. friendly taliban will induct the ideology once again in the system with the help of ISI. so basically 9 years of fighting all gone it vain for US.

In this century the seeds of mujahideen will never leave afghanistan, its like a weed that will keep growing now matter how much you uproot it.

US made a bad move by funding them against soviet. made another bad move by leaving the region without bothering to redevelop the war ravaged afghanistan. at that time 80% of the population was below 16 with ak-47's in their hands. today its become a indestructible weed that is passing on from generation to generation. ( read or see charlie wilson's war ). US was doing a good job by changing the government in afghanistan and changing the ideology of the people until this bad move again.

All this is happening in near india. hence india was against taliban inclusion as it knows what they can do. no one heeded india in the london conference. why cant these people understand that its impossible to trust an ex-mujahideen talibani mullah carrying ak-47 who was a part of a ideology that does not believe in human rights, freedom , progress and social standard. is this what they call "friendly taliban" ?????

 

[LETHALFORCE]

The whole good and bad Taliban concept was developed as a way for USA/NATO to possibly leave while saving face from losing against one of the poorest undeveloped third world countries. USA more or less planted the seeds for the loss when they gave Paksiatn aid money with no transparency or no condition for results. The good taliban is the Taliban they will leave in Afghanistan when they exit the bad Taliban are the ones they killed that is more or less the difference between the good and bad taliban.

 

[Yusuf]

The difference between good Taliban and bad Taliban is that the bad Taliban is the one that will not compromise with the west and wage war with it. Good Taliban is the one that is smart and saves its life till the US moves out so that they can come back in control of Astan and take it back to 3000 BC. Then there will be only one Taliban and no one will be calling it good.

 

[anoop_mig25]

USA may still be in Afghanistan for this reason, they know once they pull out, Pakistan will try to take over; and their whole war effort and 500 BILLION DOLLARS spent will go to waste.USA has to figure out a way of possibly ending the war in Afghanistan and keeping Pakistan out, once the answer to this dilemma is found then the Afghan war will come to an end ,unless Obama is as big a bufoon as everyone claims he is.

sorry i think american 500 billion dollar is already waste and they dont want to spend even (they want to save their dollars so as make financially and militarily stronger so as to take on china in not so far future )a cent on.So this non-sense of good and bad taliban. this western countries specially US and UK never care for other countries.they think first of their own.we should be thankful that their ugly face has been revelied and india should not engage with this country in more strategic terms .